Refrigerator



wqw 7.

v 1, 2 March 29, 1927. I s B NORDSKOG 9 0- REFRIGERATOR Filed May 14, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 29, 1927- NORDSKQG REFRIGERATOR Filed May 14. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

March 29, 1927. 2 1,622,920

s. B. NORDSKOG REFRIGFRATOR I Filed May 14. 1925 s Sheets-Sheet a ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented Mar. 29, 1927..

UNITED STATES SEVERIN B. NORDSKOG, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed May'll, 1925. Serial No, 30,338.

This invention relates to refrigerators, particularly those of a cabinet type designed for use in grocery stores, meat markets and the like and has for its object the provision of a novel device of this character which i will be not only very neat and attractive 1n appearance but which is of peculiar and novel construction whereby to utilize the full cooling capacity of ice and insure circulation of cold air around the meat or any other food product placed within the device.

An important object is the provision'of a refrigerator so constructed and arranged as to provide the minimum storage space in proportion to the dimensions, there being consequently no wastage of valuable space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator having an improved construction of ice compartment whereby any warm air will be forced to circulate around or through and in close proximit to the ice so that such warm air will be ei ectually cooled and the proper and necessary low temperature be consequently maintained throughout the entire period ofthe device.

A further object is the provision of a refrigerator in which the ice cabinets or compartments having installed therein tunnel members which cooperate with the warm *0 air chutes for insuring a thorough and proper circulation of the air within the device so that all portions of the interior will be maintained at substantially the same uniform temperature throughout.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in mamifacture, sanitary in use, etlicient and durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

\Vith the above and other objects and advanta es in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and the arrange.

ment of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete device.-

Figure 2 is afragmentary top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is longitudinal vertical section taken througli one end portion.

Figure 4: is a cross section showing the door of one ice cabinet or compartment and one of the meat storage compartment doors in open posi'tlon. p

Figure- 5 1s a detail perspective view, with parts broken away and in section, of one of the top tunnel members.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown the device as comprising an elongated casing or cabinet 10 at the ends of which are located other cabinets or casings 11 which have their front preferably provided with full length mirrors 12 which are not only attractive in appearance but which will also be of advantage in attracting lady custo-mersto the store. The cabinet 10 constitutes the storage compartment for meat or other food products while the cabinet 11 contains the ice chambers and cir- 7o culation insuring means to be described The top of the cabinet 10 constitutes counter.

'In the actual construction, any suitable material may be used, such as wood or metal to form the main portions, so the top of the cabinet 10 is formedpreferably of a plurality of panes of sheets of plate glass 13, la and 15, mounted in any suitable manner and spaced apart as shown to provide insulation. Similarly, the front of the cabinet 8 10 is formed of any suitable or desired number of panes or sheets of glass 16, 17, and 18 which are like'wisespaced apart for neat insulating purposes'and which, being transparent, will permit a clear view of the con- 8 tents. While it is true that the panes or sheets of glass 13, 14 and 15 forming the top of the cabinet 10 may be arranged in parallel relation, it is preferable that the lowermost sheet or pane 15 be inclined upwardly from its center as clearly indicated in Figure 3. i t

Located within the cabinet 10 is any suitable or desired arrangement of shelves 19 mounted on supporting cleats or brackets 20 or the like and designed to support the food products stored within the dev'ce. Access may be had to the interior of the cabinet 10 through any suitable number of door openings 21 spaced apart at intervals and normally closed by hingedly or otherwise movably mounted doors 22 equipped with any suitable or preferred means for maintaining them in normally closed position.

As stated above, the cabinets 11 are located at the ends of the cabinet 10 and the bottoms and walls are really a continuation as clearly indicated in Figure 3. It is preferable that the bottom be lined with suitable 110 sheet metal, such, for instance, as zinc, illus- 'trated' at 23 in Figures 3 and 4, and the bot tom is sloped or inclined downwardly from the ends toward the center so as lead to a catch basin 24 from which leads an outlet or discharge pipe 25 provided for the purpose of carrying away the water resulting from the melting of the ice used as a refrigerant.

The cabinets 11 have their walls 26 preferably of double construction with heat insulating material such as cork board or the like indicated at 27 interposed between them. The tops of these end cabinets 11 are closed by suitable wall portions or top members 28 as clearly indicated. in Figure 3.

The cabinets ll communicate with the end portions of the central or intern'iediate cabinet 10, and mounted within the cabinets 11 are substantially vertically arranged baffle walls 29 spaced away from the confronting or inner walls thereof to define warm air chutes 30. The upper ends of the baflie walls 29 terminate short of the top members 28 while the lower ends thereof extend to substantially the central portion of the space between the top and bottom of the cabinet 10 as clearly indicated in Figure 3, secured or being effected by any desired means. The remainder of the space, that is the portion below the lower edge of each member 29 and the bottom portion of the cabinet 10 is covered with wire screen indicated at 31.

To insure proper circulation of air through the entire device, I provide tunnel members shown in detail in Figure 5, which tunnel members are indicated generally by the numeral 32. These members may be formed as rectangular casings 33 provided interiorly with braces 34 and provided at one end with laterally extending supports 35 engaged upon an inclined plate member 36 located at the bottom of each cabinet 11. The members 32 are of such length that when their forward ends are disposed against the wire screen 31 their rear ends will be spaced away from the outer walls of the cabinets 11 to provide air spaces 37. Ice used for cooling purposes may be used in block form, in fragments or in chips, as preferred, and is introduced into the cabinets 11 through suitable openings normally closed by movably mount ed doors 38. The ice is indicated at 39 and rests upon and covers the tunnel members 32. The lower part of the ice compartment is filled with cracked ice and crushed rock salt, while a block of ice is stored in the upper part and chipped away or broken up as needed from time to time.

In the use, it will be apparent that the food products to be preserved are placed within the cabinet 10 upon the shelves 19 while the ice is introduced into the cabinets 11. There is bound to be a perfect circulation of air at all times owing to the fact that warm air rising within the cabinet 10 and passing into the cabinets 11 must go through the chutes 30 before really entering the cabinets 11. Upon coming in contact with the ice 39 the warm air will be cooled and will drop down and pass through the ice and through the air space 37 and also through and out of the tunnel members 32 and then into the lower portion of the cabinet 10, the air subse uently rising as its temperature increases. In this way it is evident that there will be a continuous circulation of air which will insure the maintenance of a substantially uniform temperature throughout the entire period of the device. It should be noted that the rear walls of the tunnel members 32 are not open as if they were the ice might enter thereinto, but in actual practice these outer end walls are provided with perforations as indicated atAO which will permit the passage of the air entering through the space 37 while preventing any pieces of ice from slipping into the tunnel members.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed, inexpensive and highly etficient and sanitary device for the purpose specified which in addition to possessing the advantageous features above enumerated will be extremely ornamental and attractive in appearance.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a refrigerator, a single storage cabinot having near each end partitions which divide the cabinet into a central storage compartment, and end ice compartments, each ice compartment having a sloping false bottom, said partitions terminating short of the top of the cabinet to define air passages between the storage and ice compartments, and a tun nel member located upon each false bottom in spaced relation to the end of the cabinet to define an air passage, and having both ends formed with openings for the passage of air therethrough, the tunnel member being adapted to be packed over with cracked ice.

2. In a refrigerator, a single storage cabinet having near each end partitions which divide the cabinet into a central storage compartment and end ice compartments, the partitions terminating short of the end compartments to define air passages establishing communication between the central storage compartment and the ice compartments, each end ice compartment having a sloping bottom inclined downardly toward the center of the central compartment, and a tunnel member mounted upon the false bottom and adapted to be embedded within ice arranged within the end ice compartments, the tunnel member having one end open and its other end provided with a plurality of perforations, the second named end of the tunnel member being spaced from the outer end wall of the end ice compartments.

3. In a refrigerator, a single storage cabinet having near each end partitions which divide the cabinet into a central storage compartment and end ice compartments, the partitions terminating shortof the end com partment to define air passages establishing communication between the central storage compartment and the ice compartments, each end ice compartment having a sloping bottom inclined downwardly toward the center of the central compartment, and a tunnel member mounted upon the false bottom and adapted to be embedded Within ice arranged within the end ice compartments, the tunnel member having one end open and its other end provided with a plurality of perforations, the second named end of the tunnel member being spaced from the outer end wall of the end ice compartments, and means carried by said perforated end of the tunnel member resting upon the false bottom for maintaining the tunnel member in its normal position.

SEVERIN B. NORDSKOG. 

